Was a Grammy-winning rapper singing about crimes he committed or simply expressing himself as an artist? New legislation in the US sets guardrails on the use of lyrics as evidence in criminal cases.
Under the alias Young Thug, Jeffery Lamar Williams, 31, has sold more than 2.5 million albums and been hailed as “”the 21st century’s most influential rapper”.
But prosecutors in his native Atlanta are not impressed. In May, Mr Williams was arrested on racketeering and gang-related charges and has been in jail since. This month, he was denied bond for a third time.
Prosecutors allege that Young Stoner Life (YSL) Records, the rap label Mr Williams founded, is the front for an organised crime syndicate responsible for “75 to 80% of violent crime” in the city.
Interesting case.
